Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Trump paused 50% tariffs on Canadian goods for three days after midnight as the countries negotiated a trade deal. Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'important work' remained, while Trump claimed the deal was nearly complete and hinted at reviving the Keystone XL pipeline.

Trump announced plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 'this year' and claimed Kim had responded positively to his proposals. However, Kim Yo-jong, Kim's sister and a top adviser, denied knowledge of any communications and said the US remained a hostile enemy of North Korea.

The US and South Korea scaled back their joint military exercises, with the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise reduced from 11 days to 5 days after Trump ordered the reduction, citing his 'very good' relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

The US national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, accelerated by spending on the Iran war, tax cuts, and tariff refunds. Economists attribute the rapid accumulation to Trump's policies and the Biden administration's spending.

Trump nominated Heidi Overton, a former conservative think tank policy officer and fierce abortion opponent, to lead the FDA. Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy voiced strong reservations, calling her role in a recent vaccine executive order 'almost disqualifying.'

The Justice Department defended its prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, claiming his post of a seashell photo with '8647' could be read as a threat against Trump and was intended to boost sales of his upcoming crime novel. Prosecutors are using Comey's novel as evidence.

Trump-backed GOP Rep. Cory Mills lost his Florida primary reelection bid amid an active House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of domestic abuse. Trump subsequently claimed he had urged Mills to drop out before the election.

Trump announced a 'most crushing economic operation ever' against Iran and said any country trading with Iran will face 'tremendous economic consequences.' The statement came as Iran's hardliners signaled the conflict was far from over, with the war already nearly at the six-month mark.

ABC filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's FCC, alleging violation of First Amendment rights through threats to the network's broadcast licenses. The action escalated the network's battle over Trump administration threats related to content on Jimmy Kimmel Live and other shows.

A federal judge ruled that Trump officials can target Ethiopians for deportation after removing the last remaining block on cancellation of their Temporary Protected Status. The ruling eliminates legal obstacles to deporting Ethiopians who had TPS protection.

Retail giant Target received a $994 million pre-tax tariff refund, which boosted its second-quarter operating income to $2.6 billion. The refund reflects the Trump administration's pattern of compensating certain companies for tariff-related losses.